Thursday, March 28

Browsing: On Watch

Maritimo, the highly successful Australian builder of luxury offshore cruising yachts, just announced that it’s developing a new M75 Flybridge Motor Yacht flagship. The new Maritimo is a four-stateroom, three-head, blue-water cruiser with an enclosed flybridge, a creative and expansive aft deck, and a lower “adventure deck.” Low-angle, straight-shaft drives connect to twin 1150-hp Scania diesels and reduce the yacht’s draft to just 4’ 11” so it can explore more destinations around the world. It holds 2,641 gallons of fuel to ensure long-range cruising. Maritimo’s announcement Thursday evening underscored the company’s most successful year in its almost 20-year history. Indeed,…

Beneteau just announced that it’s launching a new Swift Trawler 48. Hull number one, with twin 380-hp Cummins diesels, will have its world premiere at the Düsseldorf show in January; hull number two, with twin 425-hp Cummins, will make its U.S. debut at the Miami show in February. The 48 is the flagship of Beneteau’s Swift Trawler line, which starts at 35 feet. Beneteau also makes a Grand Trawler 62, but it has a displacement hull for long-range voyages. The new 48 is a three-stateroom, two head cruiser; top speed is 23 knots with the 380-hp engines, and 26 knots…

Jeanneau just announced that it’s starting a new line of high-end day boats with the stunning-looking DB/43. Jeanneau said the new 43 would have the functionality of an express cruiser and the streamlined design and polished finish of a premium day boat. The DB/43 will be available in both inboard and outboard power, with the outboard power aimed at the U.S. market. The day boat or weekend cruiser universe is a growing market segment both here and overseas. Jeanneau, part of the Beneteau Group,  is a French giant in both the power and sail markets. The DB/43 is a collaboration…

The big Lauderdale show is now in the rear-view mirror, and it seems that things couldn’t be better. As usual, the bigger the better. Indeed, one broker at the superyacht part of the show over at Pier 66 (pictured above) said he was seeing a billionaire every few minutes. But the good news spread down the line. Brunswick, for example, said it had “record-breaking performance” at the show; Boston Whaler reported a 35 percent increase in revenue over the past year, while Sea Ray had 30 percent. David Foulkes, the Brunswick CEO, said the Lauderdale show “sets the tone for…

The iconic Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the largest in-the-water show in the United States, is underway, riding a wave of enthusiasm and pent-up demand. The show officially has 647 exhibitors and 712 boats, from Absolute to Zeelander; the largest is a 252-foot Feadship named Boardwalk. Fort Lauderdale calls itself “the yachting capital of the world,” and the show does not lack for excess. Not all the boats had fenders as large as those on the megayacht in the picture above, or the helicopter on the upper deck, but in Fort Lauderdale it’s just a matter of scale. The show…

The highly innovative, prize-winning Bluegame BGX70 flagship will make its U.S. debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, along with the Italian builder’s smallest cruiser, the BG42. The X70 has already turned heads, and won awards in Europe – the “Most Avant-Garde Yacht” at the Cannes show, and “Motoryacht of the Year” at Düsseldorf. It combines many features found in superyachts with the easy-living capabilities of a family cruiser. Bluegame was founded by Luca Santella in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2004, making smaller boats. In the recession, it hit hard times and shut down. But then, in 2017,…

The massive Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the largest in-the-water show in the world, opens on Wednesday, Oct. 27, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 31. Last year, the show was only half its usual size, because of the Covid pandemic, but this year it’s back with everything from superyachts to SUPs, on the docks, in tents and on land exhibits. In 2019, the last pre-Covid year, the show attracted more than 100,000 people. This year, that number is expected again, with the show in multiple locations, centered at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center and Las Olas Marina, as well as…

Back Cove just launched its newly redesigned 372 family cruiser at the Annapolis powerboat show, running through Sunday, Oct. 10. The 372 is a new iteration of the original Back Cove 37 that was first launched in 2009; that turned out to be one of the Maine builder’s most  popular models. More than 200 of them were sold, and the tooling was getting worn out. With a single diesel engine, a low profile and its Down East lines, the 37 was popular because it was a Goldilocks boat – not too big, not too small. A single person could handle…

The brand-new Hinckley 35, with twin Mercury Verado 350-hp outboards, was sitting in a slip at the Hinckley boat yard in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. I met skipper David Salathe at the boat and he gave me a quick tour before departing. The engines were both idling, but they were so quiet you could barely hear them. The under body of the 35 was designed by Michael Peters, who has numerous trophies and naval architecture awards to his credit. The look of the 35 is Down East classic with that special Hinckley flair. The high bow and flared sections forward promise…

The Hunt 63, the Huckins Sportsman 38, and the Back Cove 39O were big winners at the Newport boat show, all collecting awards in various categories. The electric outboard by Flux Marine won an award in the show’s green products category. The awards are part of the show’s Newport For New Products showcase, open to domestic and foreign products that were launched in the U.S. after April 1, 2021, that made their debut at the Newport show. Winners were selected by a panel of judges, industry experts, on the basis of innovation, value to the consumer, safety, and aesthetics. An…

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